7teen: Heatwave
by Jupiter Queen
Summary: Ep. 10: On the hottest day of the summer, all Jen wants to do is hang at the pool with her friends, but Jonesy's plans for a pool party threaten her day. However, nobody anticipates his brothers crashing the party, an emerging heartbreak, or a fight breaking out.
1. Chapter 1

_**Warning**_ _: Profanity, sexual content/references, and crude humor/dialogue._

 _ **Note**_ _: The title comes from "Heatwave" by Charli XCX._

 _ **A/N**_ _: I've been thinking of this story for ages, but, as always, the story I end up publishing is never the one I start with. The premise for this story has always been the gang hanging out at Jonesy and Jen's pool due to hot temperatures and Jonesy deciding to throw a pool party. However, the story has taken on a life of its own in the best way. You'll see._

 _I'm excited to share finally this with y'all!_

* * *

Chapter 1: Temperature Rising

Even in the morning, the summer air was thick, unbearable, and sticky.

As soon as Jen set foot outside her house for her morning shift at the Penalty Box, the humidity clung to her skin like saran wrap, damn near suffocating her. She couldn't recall a summer day as hot as this one. She prayed to God that the rest of the summer wouldn't feel this miserable.

However, she considered herself grateful that her Penalty Box uniform only consisted of a referee t-shirt and her signature tennis skirt. That way, she didn't have to deal with any sleeves or pants on a day like this. Otherwise, she would have sacrificed her perfect attendance record for a day off.

On her way into the mall, her phone lit up with messages from her friends' group chat. Caitlin mentioned how Kevin, the other Big Squeeze employee, would be working there all day today, giving her a day off from work. Sydni added that she was scheduled off from the Khaki Barn. Jen smiled at the prospect of hanging out and beating the heat with them after her early-morning shift.

She felt bad for Nikki, though. Nikki texted that the air conditioning had stopped working in her house overnight, forcing her to sleep in next to nothing with all her windows open. Needless to say, she called Chrissy this morning to say that she would _not_ be at work today.

 _Damn, babe. That sucks ass_ , Jonesy texted with the pile of shit emoji.

Jen saw three dots at the bottom of her phone screen, indicating that Jonesy was about to send another text.

 _Y'all should come over the crib today & chill at our pool_.

For once, he suggested an idea Jen was completely on board with.

 _What time should we stop by?_ Caitlin asked him.

 _Anytime tbh_ , he said. _Not working today so stop by whenever_.

 _I leave work at 12_ , Wyatt texted, _so I'll be there ASAP_.

 _Same_ , Jen said. _I'm coming home as quickly as possible_.

 _Uh oh_ , Jonesy teased, _are you finally gonna go above the speed limit today?_ He posted the crying-laughing emoji for emphasis.

She left him with _stfu_ before starting her long and hellish shift.

* * *

" _Shit_ , I never realized how much I needed a pool in my life," Nikki said, stepping into the shallow end of the water and walking into waist-deep territory.

"See, this is why _Casa de Garcia_ is the place to be today," Jonesy said before diving beneath the surface, popping up in the deep end.

"Totally, dude," Jude said. "I really needed somewhere to chill today. I didn't feel like going to the game shop and working the ice rink really wasn't the move."

Nikki furrowed her brow. "Jude, don't you think today— _the hottest day of the year_ —would've been perfect to be at an _ice_ rink?"

"Nah, bra. It's all cold and icy and stuff."

Jude's logic remained unparalleled. "Wow. Brilliant reasoning," she deadpanned.

"Hey, babe," Jonesy started, grabbing Nikki's attention, "how long did you say the A/C's out at your house?"

"Probably just for today. My dad's supposedly getting it fixed right now. Why?"

"I was gonna say that you could spend the night here so you can actually get some rest, but never mind."

"Well, I appreciate the offer. Thanks anyways," she said. (She failed to mention that her parents had been arguing back and forth lately, so, even when the air conditioning got fixed, she'd still be living in unbearable conditions.)

Nikki peered over at Sydni, who sat poolside with her feet in the water. "What's up with you, Bambi? Not up for swimming?"

"If I had known about this sooner, I would've gotten my hair braided, so the furthest I'm going in that water is waist-deep. Black hair and water don't always mix well… especially when the heat already got to it," she replied, whipping her frizzy ponytail for emphasis.

She chuckled. "Duly noted."

* * *

Hours later, Jen burst through her front door, slamming it and rushing up the steps. She couldn't wait to peel her suffocating clothes off her body in favor of a bikini. A day by the pool consumed her every thought while at work. It didn't help that the mall's air conditioning malfunctioned, nor did it help when Coach Halder insisted that she keep working through the sweat and utter discomfort.

"Masterson!" he'd barked. "Just because it's eighty-five degrees doesn't mean you can keep taking breaks from reorganizing the stockroom!"

"But, Coach, don't you think we should tackle the stockroom _another_ day? Maybe when it _doesn't_ feel like we're roasting alive in an oven?"

He paused to think. "Nonsense! A task that's started is a task that's going to get finished."

She sighed and wiped her brow. "Sir, yes, sir," she said in an unconvincing tone.

 _He's lucky I need to become assistant manager_ , she grumbled to herself as she headed to the sweltering stockroom once more.

As one would deduce, the first half of her day had been literal hell.

With her hair in a messy bun and her torso adorned in a periwinkle swimsuit, she made it to the backyard—finding Nikki and Sydni conversing poolside with their feet in the water while Jude, Jonesy, and Wyatt hit each other with pool noodles in the deep end. She could hear music playing in the background, identifying it as coming from a speaker in one of the chaises. It must have been Jonesy's.

"Hey, guys," she greeted as she made her entrance. She'd never been more glad to see them _and_ cool water in the same setting.

"'Sup, bra— _oomf!_ " Jude let his guard down to greet her, only to be whacked upside the head by Jonesy.

Nikki snorted. "Nice hit."

Jonesy turned his back to the boys, giving his girlfriend a smile. "Thanks, Ni—"

In retaliation, Jude had hit him on his side, knocking him into the water.

Jen giggled while getting into the pool. "Now _that_ was a nice hit."

Jonesy broke through the pool's surface. His dark-blue hair clung to his forehead as he spit out chlorinated water with a grimace. "I heard that."

She crossed her arms. "It was _meant_ for you to hear. That's what you get for talking about my driving earlier."

"Not my fault you drive like somebody's grandma."

"Well, _you_ drive like you're in the _Fast and Furious_."

"Yet you're just _Slow and Curious_."

Jen peered beside Nikki, noticing a few stray pool noodles nearby. "Hey, Nik, can you toss me one of those?"

Nikki threw it to her, deadpanning, "Go nuts."

She promptly slapped Jonesy upside the head with it.

"Hey! Watch where you aim that thing!"

"Oh, I _will_ ," Jen said with narrowed eyes. She joined the boys' pool noodle war—mainly just to attack her aggravating step-brother.

Nikki and Sydni looked onward at the ensuing fight among their four friends.

"This is actually pretty entertaining," Sydni commented, amused to see Jen roughhousing with the boys.

Nikki chuckled. "What you're witnessing is the old gang."

Sydni quirked an eyebrow, although it was obscured by her bangs. "The old gang?"

"Yep." She offered both a smirk and an explanation. "Before you and Blondie came along, it was just me, Jen, and these three knuckleheads doing shit like this."

Nikki reminisced about her and Jen wrestling with the boys in Wyatt's basement, playing flag football with them at the park in middle school, and playing basketball with them in Jonesy's backyard (before his dad turned it into a pool). Now that she thought about it, she and Jen were always running with the boys.

"Thank God the estrogen now outweighs the testosterone in this group." Nikki placed on a hand on her chin, noticing the absence of the gang's biggest estrogen source. "Hmm, I wonder where Blondie is."

"I'll text her and ask," Sydni said. She swung her feet out of the cool water and onto the much hotter concrete patio, grabbing her phone from her purse. She sent Caitlin a message on Snapchat, asking where she was.

Moments later, Caitlin replied, _Omw! I can't wait to chill at the pool!_

"Cait said she's on her way," Sydni told Nikki.

Nikki gave her a thumbs up.

Before Sydni could put her phone away, however, she received another message from Caitlin.

"Okay, so she said that she accidentally sent that snap to me _and_ her friend Andrea, who now wants to know if there's a pool party happening and if she can come."

Jonesy stopped fighting with Jen and the boys long enough to eavesdrop on their conversation. A devilish smirk tugged at his lips. "A pool party, eh?"

Jen saw his inner opportunist spring to life. "Don't even _think_ about it."

"What?" he asked with mischief in his voice. "If Cait's friend thinks we're having a pool party, then why not make it into one?" His devilish smirk turned into a toothy grin, with his pearly whites sparkling under the blazing sun.

"No. N-O. _No_ , Jonesy."

He climbed out of the pool and grabbed his phone off the chaise where his speaker rested. His fingers moved at the speed of light as he told Caitlin to invite Andrea over, as well as a bunch of her other friends.

Jen climbed out of the pool after him, snatching his phone away from him. "Oh, you are _not_ throwing a party."

"Then why did I just tell Caitlin that I am?"

"Tell her it's _cancelled_. Seriously, I'm not getting busted because you wanna have a busload of people over."

"And you're _not_. Get that stick out of your ass, sis. I'm just trying to turn a shitty day into one of the best parties of the summer. _And_ I can make some coin by charging admission in the process." He couldn't see why Jen was so frustrated. Their parents were at work, Courtney had recently moved in with her best friends, and baby Emma was at daycare. "It's a win-win."

"It sounds like it's only a win for you," Jen grumbled.

He shrugged. "Okay, so maybe it is."

Jen grunted and shoved his phone into his hands. "I give up."

"Good," he said, tossing it back onto the chaise. "Now, if you excuse me, I gotta go convince Robbie and Diego to keep their mouths shut."

* * *

Jonesy went upstairs, making his way into Diego and Robbie's room. The lingering odor of gym socks and excess Axe body spray attacked his nose. He watched as his brothers sat in their bean bag chairs and played _Assassin's Creed_ , instantly recognizing the game's graphics on their TV screen.

He cleared his throat to grab their attention.

"What do you want?" Diego asked without even looking up from the screen.

"Let's just say I wanna buy your silence."

Diego and Robbie glanced at each other, wordlessly agreeing to pause their game. Both of them turned around and faced their older brother.

"How much we talking?" Diego asked.

"I'll give you both twenty-five dollars and I'll do your chores for a week if you don't snitch on me about this pool party I'm throwing." He crossed his arms and glared at them. "And I _better_ _not_ catch your asses in the backyard while it's happening."

Robbie looked unconvinced. "I don't know. I think dad and Emma would love to hear about this. Right, Diego?"

"Yeah, little bro's got a point." Diego's devious smile resembled his older brother's. "I think it would make their _day_ if we told them."

Jonesy squinted. Sometimes the three of them were too damn alike. "Thirty dollars each and two weeks of chores. That's my final offer."

His brothers glanced at each other again and nodded.

"Deal," Robbie spoke.

* * *

Once Caitlin showed up, it didn't take long for her friends to follow. Jonesy's friends arrived next. Soon enough, friends from the hockey team, the school's fashion club, and the gang's high school in general crowded the backyard. (And Jonesy had collected a five-dollar entry fee from _all_ of them.)

Thumping hip-hop, excited chatter, and splashing water reverberated through the air, making everybody forget about the dreadful temperatures. Some girls twerked on the patio to the music. Others dodged water balloons from mischievous boys. Teens laughed and yelled in delight as they soaked each other with water guns. Some played volleyball in the shallow end. Lovers made out in the deep end. Jude jumped off the diving board several times, drenching many people in the process.

Nobody said it but everybody felt it: _what a time to be alive_.

…At least, everybody except for Jen felt it.

Her body tensed with anxiety as she walked around the backyard. Her mind ordered her to clean up after people, so she picked up discarded red cups, paper plates, and beer bottles. Her voice commanded peers to stop making out on the grass and to stay out of the house and to _slow down_.

She desperately wanted a day by the pool—after already being overworked by Coach Halder in sticky humidity—but never envisioned it going awry like this. Then again, she must have fooled herself to think that Jonesy wouldn't wreak havoc on her day by making it about himself, his social life, and his love of money. He always disregarded the rules and stayed scheming. It made her blood boil.

She sighed as she shoved another beer bottle in her trash bag, hoping this heatwave wouldn't kill her.

* * *

Nikki looked at the excitement all around her as she kicked her feet in the pool. "I have to hand it to you, Garcia: You know how to throw a hell of a party. I never realized this many people could fit in your backyard."

"Yeah, there's hella people here." Jonesy's mind and his eyes wandered, noting how many girls filled the yard. He recognized some of them as girls from their high school. He figured the ones he didn't recognize were Caitlin's friends. "Damn, a bunch of chicks showed up."

"No kidding," she said, thinking little of his remark. She continued people-watching.

Jonesy glanced at her, noticing how she scanned the pool party. "See any girls here that you like?"

She side-eyed him. "Excuse me?"

"What? I'm just curious."

She cocked her pierced eyebrow. "About what?"

"Your type."

She gaped.

"Your type in girls—y'know, 'cause you're all bi and stuff now. I just wanted to see if your taste in girls and my taste in girls overlap or whatever."

Her brow furrowed. "Why? So we can have a _threesome_? Or, better yet, an _orgy_ with every girl at this party?"

Though her tone was livid, his horny and immature mind pondered her questions.

 _Hmm…_

" _Jonesy_."

After snapping out of his thoughts, he could only offer, "Oh, come on, I just think it's kinda hot that you're into other chicks!"

If she wasn't so appalled, she would have laughed at how offensive his statement was. " _Wooooow_ , I can't believe this shit."

She swung her feet out of the pool and onto the patio, getting up and walking away.

He chased after her. "Nikki, wait! I'm sorry!"

She turned around and jutted her index finger into his chest. "Until you learn that my sexuality isn't fuel for your wet dreams, apology _denied_."

Before he could say anything else, she promptly walked away.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Summer Bummer

Jen stood by the sliding glass door, looking as stern as Ron the Rent-a-Cop during his daily patrols around the mall. She made sure no one would even think of setting foot inside the house (even though _everybody's_ desire was to stay in the backyard). She ensured that nothing got past her sight.

"Watch out, bra!" she heard someone call out to her.

Nothing except for _that_.

She turned to her left and saw a water balloon hurling towards her, but it was already too late by then. It burst as soon as it made contact with her body. Water splat all over her and soaked her auburn hair. She moved a drenched section out of her face with a huff.

Jude and Nikki both approached her.

"You look like you're gonna have an aneurysm," Nikki said, inspecting the tension on her best friend's face.

"Yeah, bra, it's freaking me out," Jude said with wide, concerned eyes. "You should really sit and chill somewhere."

"I _can't_." She massaged her temples, trying to get her friends to understand her plight. "If my mom and Jonesy's dad find out about this, I have to do damage control. I'm not trying to be grounded for the rest of the summer because of this."

"I doubt they would think you're the mastermind behind all this," Nikki said, gesturing to the party surrounding them.

"Exactly." Jude placed a comforting hand on Jen's damp shoulder. "You're super-duper responsible. If there's anyone that's gonna get busted for doin' somethin', it's gonna be Jonesy."

"Jude's right. You're the hardest-working person we know, meaning that you deserve to relax today more than anybody else. Just take it easy."

Jen remained silent.

Nikki crossed her arms. "I'm not leaving until you at least consider what I just said."

She sighed. "You just want me to take it easy."

"Uh huh. Hopefully you'll go sit down somewhere before you burst a blood vessel. Seriously."

As Nikki and Jude walked away, Jen remained at her post, thinking things over.

She felt like she was constantly in "mom mode" with the gang—not that they were constantly reckless, but because she felt someone needed to maintain order within the group. It didn't help that Jonesy lived for impulsivity. She was a brake pedal, and he was the sneaky jackass who liked to cut the brake wires.

But maybe Jonesy wasn't always her responsibility.

She thought about the (high) likelihood of him getting busted. Jude and Nikki raised a valid point: her mom and Jonesy's dad knew her well enough to know that she'd _never_ throw a pool party behind their backs. She'd never do anything too reckless; it wasn't in her nature.

She sighed. _Maybe I should just let Jonesy deal with the consequences himself and just enjoy the day. After all, it's supposed to be_ my _day… right?_

* * *

Sydni hunted down the cooler in search of a soda, but found much more than she anticipated while walking over there.

There he was: _Alejandro_.

He stood by the pool, talking to Justin and a couple other guys she didn't recognize.

The sun kissed his golden-brown skin and illuminated his smile. The sun made him shine and he made her melt (just like the popsicle Jude left sitting in the grass earlier).

He caught her eye… but she prayed to God she wouldn't catch his. At least, not yet. She wished she could shrink and hide so he wouldn't see her right now.

Before he could spot her, she turned in the opposite direction, desperate to find Caitlin so that she could get help from her. They'd discussed whether to make the first move or not while helping Jonesy with his dating guide—which she had yet to publish on her blog—but she felt caught off-guard. She felt unprepared to face Alejandro so soon. Seeing him again reminded her of how foolish she felt at her own party a couple weeks back. Her doubts of him truly liking her returned.

* * *

While Sydni scrambled to find Caitlin, somebody else had already spotted her looking at Alejandro.

Lindsay's jaw dropped when she noticed Sydni gawking at him. She opened her text-messaging app, informing Heather and Tricia at breakneck speed. While Heather replied with a string of profanity, Tricia asked Lindsay to send them her location, so she did.

If only she knew the consequences of that text.

* * *

As much fun as his pool party was, Jonesy found himself unable to enjoy it to its fullest capacity, not while he was the object of Nikki's ire. He felt like a moron for running his mouth in the first place. He couldn't fight his curiosity about Nikki's sexuality, yet something—perhaps his "shrunken, underutilized conscience" as his girlfriend would snark—told him not to question her about the girls she found attractive. Now he could only suffer the consequences.

Every time he walked by her, she kept her eyes straight ahead and ignored his existence. Every time he glanced at her while she talked with some friends, she gave him a brief glare of disappointment (and possibly death) before returning to her conversation.

He sulked in the middle of his chat with Wyatt.

"What's wrong with you?" Wyatt asked him, noticing his irritated expression.

He groaned. "Nikki won't talk to me."

"Oh no," Wyatt said, "what'd you do this time?"

"How do you know that _I_ did something?"

"You just said _she's_ not speaking to _you_."

He grew sheepish. "Oh… right. Well, she's pissed because I was asking her which girls here she thinks are hot—y'know, since she's all bisexual now."

"...You _do_ realize that's the dumbest thing you could have asked her, right?"

"What?"

"Jonesy, when you ask her something like that, you're not taking her sexuality seriously. It sounds like you're trying to know who you two can have a threesome with… and that's _definitely_ an image I don't want in my head." He shivered at the thought of his two closest friends in a steamy romp with some random girl. " _Yikes_."

He groaned at this being the _second_ accusation of wanting a ménage à trois. "I'm not trying to have a threesome, bro! We're not even having sex!"

"…I feel like that's none of my business, but okay."

"The threesome shit's none of your business either."

"Hey, I'm just trying to tell you where you might have gone wrong with Nikki."

Jonesy's expression softened. "Yeah, you're right. Sorry for snapping on you like that, man."

"It's fine. Just try apologizing to Nikki and hearing her out and you'll get back in her good graces."

"Okay," Jonesy said, letting his advice sink in. "So, what's up with you? Meet any hot _chicas_ today?"

He stammered, "I mean, sure, I've seen some really attractive girls arou—"

A couple water balloons to the head prevented Wyatt from finishing his sentence. Jonesy was tempted to applaud the person who threw them, assuming it was Jude. He looked in the direction of the attack, only to seethe with anger.

 _His troublemaking-ass brothers_.

"Didn't I tell you to keep your asses upstairs?" Jonesy asked with a furrowed brow.

Diego sneered. "You _did_ , but we decided we wanted to see what was up with your party."

"Plus your bribes sucked," Robbie added.

Jonesy facepalmed himself. This day _just_ got worse. "What more do you want from me?"

"Fifty bucks each and a month of chores," Diego said.

"Not happening, _pendejo_."

"Then I think me and Robbie are gonna stick around for a while," he said before walking off with Robbie, not letting Jonesy get a word in edgewise.

As his two brothers proceeded to run amok in the backyard and raise hell on an already hellish day, he couldn't help one thought:

 _I'm freaking screwed_.

* * *

Sydni found Caitlin in the recesses of the backyard.

However, she didn't notice Benj was with Caitlin until it was too late. She wanted to turn back and leave them be, but Caitlin's emerald eyes had already fallen upon her.

"Is everything okay, Sydni?" she asked, her voice sweet.

"Yes… No…" Sydni fidgeted with her hands. "I really don't know. Alejandro's here and I don't know what to do."

"OMG! Say no more!" Turning her attention to Benj, she said, "This is a friend emergency, sweetie, but I'll definitely get back to you later."

"It's fine," he said. "Take your time."

She smiled and gave him a chaste kiss on the lips before taking off with Sydni.

"I'm sorry for interrupting you two," Sydni said. "I just really don't know what to do."

"Aw, don't feel bad! I'm gonna go over there with you, we're gonna strike up a convo with him to get you guys talking, and then I'm gonna be like, 'Hey, if you wanna talk to Sydni, then you two should totally exchange numbers!'"

Having not dated in a hot minute, Sydni was grateful for Caitlin's expertise. "I can't believe I didn't think of that." She frowned. "It's almost like I don't have common sense when it comes to guys anymore."

Caitlin could see the uneasiness written all over her face. "Hey," she said, grabbing Sydni's attention. "You're gonna be just fine."

Her palms sweat profusely. "Are you sure?"

"Positive. You're sweet, you look super cute in that one-piece, and I _know_ he thinks you're a hottie. You're definitely going to get his number."

"Hmm, I _really_ doubt that," a self-assured voice interrupted.

Caitlin looked over Sydni's shoulder and gasped at who she saw. It prompted Sydni to turn around, though she already knew the body such a bitchy voice belonged to.

 _Heather_.

* * *

If Jonesy lacked a conscience and split into two different demon spawns, those spawns would be his brothers.

They forced his issue with Nikki to take a backseat in order to perform damage control. Robbie kept dropping chocolate in the pool to make people think it was _shit_ , something Jonesy had to clean up himself, much to his chagrin.

Then, when Robbie wasn't convincing people the pool was infested with fecal matter, he would terrorize some of Jonesy's friends with water balloons. Diego, on the other hand, proceeded to flirt with girls who were not only older than him, but also _way_ out of his league.

Jonesy interrupted Diego's lame attempt at seducing a girl who looked desperate to get away from him. "What will it take to get you and Robbie to _leave_?"

The girl fled while Diego wasn't looking.

"You already know my price," he told his older brother.

"Still not happening."

"Then I'm not leaving."

"Look, if I go down for this, then I'm dragging you two down with me."

"You do realize I can tell dad and Emma that you tried to bribe us. Then I wouldn't even be lying because you _did_."

"Ugh," he groaned, feeling like he was going to snap. "Just go back inside the house and play your wack-ass video games! I'm _begging_ you, bro."

With a level tone, Diego said, "No can do. I'm right where I wanna be."

Jonesy tried his hardest not to kick his ass in front of company. As he regained his composure and said, "Fine," he envied Jude, Caitlin, and Sydni—the only ones in the gang who were didn't have siblings. To him, they had it _easy_.

* * *

After getting her earbuds from her room, Jen sighed as reclined in one of the poolside chaises, ready to listen to some music. She closed her eyes and let the umbrella above her block the unrelenting sun.

Nikki and Jude were right: She just needed to take things easy. This day was hers to claim after all, and she wouldn't let anyone take that away from her.

"Jen, you've _got_ to help me."

Not even her wildly impulsive stepbrother.

She opened her crystal-blue eyes, using them to cast a glare upon Jonesy. "And why should I?"

"Because," he said, "I gotta get Robbie and Diego outta here. They're crashing my party!"

"A party that no one told you to have, mind you."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," he said, dismissing her nagging. "I just need some help from 'responsible Jen,' okay?"

"While I'm flattered that you're not trying to call me a downer for once, I'm not helping you."

"What? Why not?!"

"Because," she said, "I finally decided to enjoy the party."

"You didn't even want it to be thrown in the first place!"

"Nikki and Jude helped change my mind." She closed her eyes. "Now, if you excuse me, I have some much-needed relaxing to do."

He grunted and walked away, but she told herself to disregard his frustration, seeing that he'd dug this hole for himself.

She put him out of sight and out of mind.

* * *

Caitlin gaped at Tricia and Heather. "How did you two even get in here?"

Heather sneered. "Lindsiot let us in." She then approached Sydni, jutting her index finger against Sydni's chest. "If you even _think_ that you're going to get Alejandro's attention, you're sorely mistaken."

Sydni gulped before stating the first retort that came to mind. "If you're so sure that he's not gonna give me the time of day, then why are you trying to keep me from him?"

"Besides," Caitlin started, "she already has his attention. He danced with her at her party a couple weeks ago."

Ignoring Caitlin, Heather scoffed at Sydni. For someone with the grace of a newborn deer, she thought it was _cute_ how sure of herself she seemed. "Oh, so a dance with him is supposed to _mean_ something?"

"It means something when he said we'd link up another time."

She snickered. "You are so in over your head."

Sydni huffed. "Please stop with the mind games. I don't know why you insist on making me miserable over a guy."

"This is a war, one that you got involved in as soon as you set your sights on Alejandro. One that I intend to win, bitches."

Caitlin frowned. "Not if he's gonna end up with her instead of you."

Tricia stalked towards Caitlin. "How can you know for sure what's gonna happen with them when you don't even know the truth about Benj? You don't even know about your _own_ relationship, Cait," she purred.

Despite the hot air, a chill ran up her spine. "What do you mean 'the truth about Benj'?"

"Oh,"—Tricia feigned ignorance—"did Benj never tell you?" She smirked in satisfaction, knowing she would be able to one-up her ex-best friend once more.

* * *

Caitlin approached Benj with a lovelorn look on her face. She appeared wounded and distraught.

"Caitlin, what's wrong?"

She ignored his concern. Her voice wavered when she said, "Please tell me you didn't sleep with Tricia."

She pleaded with both her words and her eyes, which grew more gleamy with each passing second. She wanted him to prove Tricia wrong. She wanted to believe Tricia was just a pathological liar. She wanted him to say _no_.

He gulped, taking a moment to choose his words carefully. He broke eye contact with her. "It was when we'd broken up the first time… I was really frustrated about it and we… we hooked up when I was still mad at you. Please, _please_ don't cry, Cait."

It all made sense to her now: why Tricia had acted so nastily towards her at the beginning of the summer, when Tricia had spotted her with Benj at the movie theater and poured her drink all over her. Tricia did it because, once more, she had the upper hand over Caitlin. She knew something that Caitlin didn't know, something that Benj never bothered to inform her about. He had her looking and feeling like a fool this whole time. She might as well have the word written across her forehead for the world to see.

She blinked to prevent tears from rolling down her face, but her attempt failed. They streamed down regardless, staining her cheeks with clear trails.

"How—" She sobbed, struggling to get her words out. Trying to steady her voice, she asked, "How could you hook up with someone who likes making me miserable and not expect me to be sad?"

"Cait, I—"

She whimpered. "I can't believe y-you would do this to me and… k-keep quiet about it."

"Cait, please—"

"I can't be with you anymore. You can go be with Tricia or whoever you want. Just know that I'm done."

She stormed away, running past Nikki in the process.

Upon hearing her sobs, Nikki caught her by the wrist and pulled her back.

"Caitlin, what's going on?" she asked, scanning her up and down.

Through blurry, teary eyes, she tried to compose herself and look at Nikki, but bawled when thinking about what happened. "Tr-Tricia told me she sl-slept with Benj after we broke up the first time, and I just couldn't believe her, y'know? So I went to go ask him _and he didn't even deny it, Nikki_. I just feel so _embarrassed_ and _silly_ and _stupid_. I was s-so _into_ him and—"

Nikki pulled her into a hug, allowing Caitlin to cry on her shoulder. "Shh. It's okay, Caitlin. Just let it out."

Caitlin remained in Nikki's arms until she felt exhausted from the convulsive sobbing. Her breaths shuddered, but her bawling turned into sniffling. She retreated from Nikki.

"You feel a bit better?" Nikki asked.

"A tiny bit."

"Good. I'll check on you again soon." She cracked her knuckles. "I have business to handle first."

* * *

Nikki pushed and shoved through groups of partygoers until she could find Tricia. She had some choice words lined up for her, and _none_ of them were pretty.

She sneered as soon as Tricia came into her line of sight, but found herself distracted by Sydni—who scurried away from Heather when Nikki walked up. She exchanged a curious glance with Sydni, who nodded her head, indicating that she'd be alright.

Nikki proceeded to approach Tricia.

"You conniving _bitch_ ," she hissed when she walked towards her. "First, you show up to my boyfriend's party uninvited _and_ unwanted, and _then_ you hurt one of my best friends?" Venom seeped into her tone. "You've got some fucking nerve."

"I was only telling Lemon Head the truth." Tricia strutted towards Nikki. "I don't see the problem with honesty."

"Not when it comes from a place of spite."

"Like you're the epitome of morality."

"I never said I was," she conceded, "but I _do_ know a thing or two about having a heart, something you lack."

As the hostility heightened, Nikki felt some partygoers shift their attention towards the argument at hand. She didn't care. Regardless of who watched, Nikki was going to make her pay for treating Caitlin like garbage.

Tricia quirked an eyebrow. "Aww, was that supposed to make me feel bad?"

"No, but I can make you feel something _else_." She raised her fist for emphasis.

Tricia got in Nikki's face. "Like you'd really do anything to me."

"If you get any closer to me, I will."

She tapped Nikki on the nose with a smirk. She taunted, "I doubt that y—"

Nikki's fist collided with Tricia's jaw, knocking her to the ground.

Tricia groaned. Her bikini-clad body suffered abrasions from the rough concrete. She couldn't even find the strength to get up. She lay sprawled on the ground with her hand rubbing her aching jaw.

A shadow loomed over her form.

Nikki looked down at her. She cradled her punching hand, ignoring the throbbing sensation from decking Tricia. Despite the pain, pleasure coursed through her veins. A twisted smile graced her lips. "I've been wanting to do that since the day I met you."

Tricia glared upward. "I think my _lawyer_ will be happy to know that."

"Oh, really?" She adopted a mocking tone. "Well, I think your lawyer would _love_ to know that you put your hands on me first."

Tricia found the energy to spring to her feet, swinging at Nikki.

Her fists protected her face, but she took a blow to the arm from Tricia's clumsy attack. Despite the discomfort in her upper arm, she chuckled, wondering if this was the best Tricia could do.

 _All bark and no bite_ , Nikki thought.

Tricia attempted to swing at Nikki again, but Nikki kicked her in the shin before she could do anything else, sending Tricia to the ground once more.

Nikki had been fighting her whole life. It didn't matter whether the object of her wrath was a girl or a boy—she'd kick their ass all the same. Whenever someone was way out of line, she took it upon herself to correct them.

On the first day of kindergarten, Nikki punched Jonesy in the face for stealing Wyatt's brownie and insulting her in the process. In the fifth grade, a boy threatened Jen for joining the boys soccer team (seeing that they didn't have enough people for an all-girls' team at the time). Nikki kicked him in the groin for even _insinuating_ that he'd hurt Jen. In the eighth grade, a girl harassed Wyatt into being in a relationship with her, so Nikki yanked on her box braids until she promised to leave him alone.

Needless to say, Nikki and confrontation were not strangers.

"You know, Tricia," she started, "I can do this all day, so I suggest you and Heather take your asses home before this gets even more embarrassing for you."

While Tricia stood up and cradled her aching face, Heather spoke for her. "This isn't over, bitch."

"Another word out of your mouth and I'll clock the shit out of you, too. Now _leave_."

Heather snarled at her before walking with Tricia to the exit.

Nikki flipped them off as they left the premises.

The onlookers stared at Nikki in awe before breaking into applause and cheers.

She smirked. It felt wonderful to finally kick Tricia's ass.

 _That bitch deserved it_ , she thought.

Before she could find Caitlin and continue to console her, Caitlin and Sydni found her.

"I'm so shook right now," Sydni said with eyes widened in disbelief. "Nikki, that was _amazing_."

"I can't believe you would do that for me," Caitlin added in a grateful (albeit sullen) tone.

Nikki gave her a soft smile. "Of course, Caitlin." She glanced at both of them. "No one messes with my girls, especially not Tricia and Heather."

Caitlin mustered a small smile in return.

"Now, come on. Let's go find Jen and ask if you can relax in her room, okay?"

"Okay."


	3. Chapter 3

_**A/N**_ _: Just a heads up that a scene towards the end of the story gets very racy (lmao, I sound like my dad). Obviously, no actual sex takes place—otherwise, this story would be M-rated—but it is definitely a_ _hard_ _T-rating. Consider yourself warned._

* * *

Chapter 3: Warm Front

Jen had her eyes closed, her earbuds in, and the world tuned _out_.

The more she thought about what Nikki and Jude told her earlier, the more she realized they were right. Her friends reminded her that her responsible mode had an off switch. It didn't need to always be on. She wasn't always needed as the mom of the group—having to consider everyone's needs and neglect her own.

She'd been working overtime at the Penalty Box so she could earn the position of assistant manager, preparing for her duties as senior-class president in the fall, applying to her dream universities—all while constantly cleaning around the house, maintaining a new relationship, and making time for her friends.

Needless to say, she'd been on her grind. She _earned_ this.

Besides, it was nice not to be consumed by responsibility. It was also nice not to make other people's problems her own for once.

Robbie and Diego were Jonesy's responsibility, not hers. She'd let him deal with the consequences.

 _It's only fair_ , she thought before being forced back to reality by someone tapping on her shoulder.

She opened her eyes to find Nikki, Sydni, and a teary-eyed Caitlin before her.

Her brow furrowed as she took out her earbuds. "What happened?"

"Let's see: seventeen hellish years ago, the antichrist was born," Nikki said. "But you might know her as _Tricia_."

Jen noted the frustration in Nikki's expression, the distraught in Sydni's, and the melancholy in Caitlin's. "She did something to you, Cait?"

With a heavy heart, Caitlin nodded and gave her the briefest summary of what happened.

Jen got up and gave her a hug. "That's awful that she would do that to you. I'm so sorry."

"It's okay." She donned a tiny smile as Jen let her go. "Besides, at least me and Sydni got to see Nikki kick her butt."

Jen turned to Nikki with wide eyes. "You fought Tricia?"

" _Somebody_ had to."

"Wow, I can't believe I missed all that."

"Don't worry; just know that she got her ass handed to her. But, anyways, we came to ask if Caitlin could stay in your room for the rest of the day."

"Oh, of course," Jen said without hesitation. "Need me to keep you company, Cait?"

She shook her head. With a weak voice, she said, "No, thanks. I'd rather be alone right now."

Her maternal instincts kicked in once more. "Well, at least let me walk there _with_ you."

"Okay," her heartbroken friend replied.

Thus, Jen strolled towards the sliding glass door that led to the living room with them. Before she could even make it inside with the three of them, however, she found herself bombarded with water balloons and powerful blasts from a water gun.

She shrieked before turning around to face the culprits: Robbie and Diego.

A groan slipped through her lips. Why couldn't all the Garcia boys just _disappear?_

" _What_ are you two _doing_?" she asked them.

"Just enjoying the party, stepsis," Diego said with a haughty look stuck on his face as he lowered his water gun.

She'd be damned if his annoying, devilish smirk didn't resemble Jonesy's. "Can't you enjoy it _without_ humiliating me?" It was bad enough that she was the victim of a water balloon attack a couple hours ago.

Robbie pretended to ponder her question. "…Nah."

"See, flirting with babes and annoying the shit out of Jonesy is fun and all, but it gets kinda boring after a while," Diego explained. "But annoying the shit out of you _never_ gets old."

She wanted to _yell_. It was one thing for Jonesy get on her nerves and try to put a damper on her day, but for his brothers to do the same to her? It made her long for the days where the only sibling she had to deal with was _Courtney_.

"Ugh, just leave me _alone_!"

"No can do," Diego said before blasting her with his water gun again.

She ran behind a group of teens from her high school, taking shelter behind them so she wouldn't get sprayed by him.

Diego and Robbie tried running after her, but she sprinted from the patio to the grass, bobbing and weaving between her peers in an effort to escape from Jonesy's bothersome brothers.

She ran so fast and so blindly that she collided into someone, slamming into the other person's chest.

"Hey! Watch where you're going, sis!"

She stumbled backwards before regaining her balance. She then looked at who she bumped into.

 _Of_ course _I'd run into Jonesy of all people._

She crossed her arms. "I'll watch where I'm going when your stupid brothers learn how to leave people alone!"

Jonesy frowned. "They're harassing you too, huh?"

"Yes. As if it wasn't bad enough that _you_ were messing with me earlier."

"Hey, _I'm_ just tryna have a good time. Robbie and Diego are just being outta pocket."

Perhaps he had a point. Despite the aggravation the Garcia brothers had filled her with, she found herself the least mad at Jonesy right now. Yes, he could be irresponsible and impulsive, but his brothers were just downright chaotic _evil_.

She sighed. "So, what do we do?"

"Well, I was almost about to give in to their freaking blackmail, but you know what?" he asked with returning bravado. "I'm not going down without a fight. I'm not gonna let them play me like a chump."

"And I'm not gonna let them ruin the rest of my day."

He smirked at her. "So, are we gonna reclaim this backyard or what?"

She found herself smirking back at him. "Definitely… So, what are we gonna do?"

"Beat 'em at their own game."

"How so?"

"Well, for starters, I have a whole bunch of water guns in the shed they don't even know about. I'm talkin' _super soakers_."

She raised an eyebrow. "Go on…"

* * *

Sydni watched as Nikki closed Jen's bedroom door, leaving Caitlin to sulk in solitude.

The two of them stood in the hallway, looking at each other.

"So…" they said in unison.

"I hope Caitlin will be alright," Sydni said, looking down.

"Don't worry about Blondie; she'll be fine. For someone who wears a size zero, she's deceptively strong," Nikki said.

"Yeah, but I still feel bad that she got her heart broken. Of all the things that happened today, I never expected for her and Benj to break up."

"Me neither. But I guess today took a few unexpected turns. Kicking Tricia's ass certainly wasn't in my plans for today, but here we are."

Sydni walked towards the steps, saying, "I wish you could've kicked Heather's ass while you were at it."

"Oh, yeah, I've been meaning to ask: what did she say to you?"

"She kept listing reasons why Alejandro wouldn't date me 'even if my life depended on it,'" she said with air quotes.

"What a bitter bitch." Nikki placed a hand on her chin. "Huh, maybe I _should've_ kicked her ass after all."

"Fighting both of them in one go? That would've been iconic." She sighed. "It would probably make me feel better, too."

"How so?"

"By knowing that she'd think twice before popping up every time I'm within a hundred feet of him."

"I don't know about that. Heather's the type to get her ass handed to her several times over before even _thinking_ of giving up. She's persistent, I'll give her that."

"Great. I guess she'll always be on my ass then."

"Relax, Bambi. We'll be on hers before she ever gets to yours. That's a promise."

A warm grin appeared upon her face. She debated where she should give her a hug or not, but decided to go for it. "Thanks, Nikki."

"Anytime." Once she let her go, Nikki noted, "You know, you seem to really perk up whenever I call you Bambi." She raised an eyebrow. "Any particular reason?"

"I've mentioned my friend Michaela to you before, right?"

"Yeah, a few times."

"Well, she calls me Bambi, too—only when she says it, it's short for _bambina_ , not the Disney character."

"Ah, okay."

"Yeah. So when I perk up, it's just because… it reminds me of home when you say it."

"Well, it's nice to know that, Bambi," Nikki said, giving her a knowing smile. "Now, come on; let's go back outside. I'd rather not spend the rest of my day thinking about Tricia and Heather."

"Good call," Sydni agreed. As they descended into the living room, she asked, "So, are things good with you and Jonesy?"

Nikki rolled her eyes. "I'd rather not think about that lunkhead right now either. He really knows how to speak without thinking first, and it seriously pisses me off."

Sydni toyed with a lock of her hair. "Sorry. Forget I even asked."

"It's fine. If there's anyone I need to hear a _sorry_ from, it's him. Him and his big mouth," she said as they walked out the door and into the backyard. "Anyways, we should go find Jen. I think if she's around those Garcia boys much longer, she's gonna go postal."

"Agreed. I'm surprised the backyard hasn't become a crime scene yet."

She and Nikki walked further into the backyard, straying away from the patio and onto the grass when somebody approached them.

Sydni's breath almost hitched in her throat when she saw him. "Alejandro."

"Hey, Sydni," he said.

Her eyes looked him up and down, trying to assess if this was really happening. Once she deduced that this was _actually_ reality and he _really_ just approached her, she managed to ask, "S-So, how've you been?"

"I've been doing great. You?"

Despite her mouth going dry, she said, "Never been better. Enjoying the party?"

He nodded. "Especially now that I see you're here."

She felt a warmth in her cheeks. "Oh, wow."

" _Oh wow," sis? He's flirting with you and all you have to say is "oh, w—_

"So, I was hoping I could get your number." He flashed a charming smile at her. "Maybe we could get to know each other a bit, _hermosa_."

 _Oh my God, he just said I'm pretty. I'm gonna pass the hell out_ , she thought.

"Sure!" she said, sounding too eager. _Keep the little bit of cool you have, bitch._ "I mean, _sure_. Um, I'd really like that."

"Great," he said. He opened his contacts app and handed her his phone.

Though she remained skeptical that this moment was real, she typed her name and number into his phone and handed it back to him.

"Thanks. I'll hit you up soon."

She gave him a goofy grin. _Stop smiling so hard_ , she chastised herself, forcing herself to dial it back. "Okay. Cool."

"I guess I'll see you around, Sydni." He winked at her before leaving.

"Yeah. See ya," she said, waving at him as he left, wondering if she waved for a little bit too long.

Nikki snickered, reminding Sydni of her presence. "You know, I _kinda_ wish Heather was still here so I could see her head explode right now."

"Okay, so that _really_ just happened?" she asked, needing further confirmation that her crush just got her number.

"Yep," she said with a smirk. "He really just got your number."

" _Shit_ ," she said, feeling a sense of… victory?

Despite Heather's threats of winning this so-called war they were engaged in, she felt like the victor. She felt butterflies fluttering around her stomach and her heart thumping in her chest.

Then she remembered Caitlin and how her heart broke before this happened. The fact that, for the briefest of moments, she celebrated her own victory and forgot Caitlin's loss made her feel incredibly hollow. Her own heart ached for Caitlin, seeing that heartache was (and still continued to be) a familiar feeling for Sydni herself.

Though she tried to put on a happy face as she walked with Nikki, she found herself stuck with one question: _What did I do?_

* * *

Sitting in a lounge chaise beside the pool, Diego closed his eyes in smug bliss. "I can't believe we got rid of big bro _and_ Jen. That was too easy."

"I know, right?" Robbie asked, sitting in an adjacent chaise. "They didn't even stand a chance."

"Ha! Chumps."

"Who are you calling a chump, _pendejo_?" an all-too-familiar voice asked.

Diego kept his eyes closed, unbothered. "You, _mamón_." Suddenly, he found himself blasted with two powerful streams of water. He leaped from his seat and onto the patio, startled by what he felt and what he saw. Jen and Jonesy stood before him. Both of them had two water guns in hand. "What the—"

"What's wrong, Diego?" Jen taunted. "Can't take the heat?"

He furrowed his brow and reached for his own water gun. "Of course I can."

Robbie quickly leaped from his seat, ready to grab from his supply of water balloons and help his middle brother—until Jonesy hit him with two blasts of water, causing him to fall back onto the chaise.

Jonesy cackled and taunted, "Too easy," before getting sprayed in the face by Diego.

He smirked at his older brother's discontent. "You were saying?" he snarked. Then he got sprayed in the face and the chest by Jen.

She replied, "He _said_ that was too easy."

After recovering from Jonesy's earlier attack, Robbie chucked a few water balloons Jonesy and Jen. One of them managed to hit Jen, but it didn't stop her from blasting him in the chest.

Diego fired more and more rounds of water at Jonesy, trying to fight him off and get him to admit defeat. He noticed, however, that the water pressure in his gun grew weaker.

 _Shit_ , he thought. Seeing that the water supply in his gun was running out, he opted to start running.

Jonesy bobbed and weaved through startled peers to fire at Diego.

Likewise, Robbie found himself running from Jen after running too low on balloons.

Before Jonesy's brothers knew it, they were both trapped between the corner of their fence and their older siblings.

"We gotcha now," Jonesy said, a victorious grin emerging. "Might as well give up."

Diego was prepared to let his pride talk back and tell his older brother that he was still ready to fight and blackmail him—until his younger brother spoke up.

" _Fine_. We'll leave, okay?" Robbie said with a huff. "I just wanna go back and finish playing _Assassin's Creed_."

"No way." Diego's brow furrowed. He couldn't believe his younger brother was giving up this easily. "C'mon, Robbie, Jonesy _owes_ us for this."

"If we didn't get our money before, what makes you think we're gonna get it from him now?" he asked.

Diego glared at both of his brothers.

Jonesy added, "Yeah, you two aren't getting squat."

He rolled his eyes. " _Whatever_. I give up. Happy?"

"Very," Jen said.

His brothers walked away grumbling, but that didn't prevent Jonesy from spraying them both in the back one last time.

They both turned around and side-eyed him.

He shrugged. "Had to get the last laugh. You know how it is." Diego flipped Jonesy off, to which he replied, "Love you too, bro."

Once his brothers finally left the backyard, Jonesy and Jen sat their water guns in the grass. They revelled in the success of "Operation: Reclaim the Yard."

He turned to her and scratched the back of his head. Now that he had a chance to think without growing frustrated about his brothers, it touched him that she helped him take them down.

"Hey," he said, grabbing her attention, "thanks a lot for helping me get rid of Robbie and _pendejo_."

"No problem." She smiled at him. "You may be a pain in my butt, but they're even _bigger_ pains in my butt."

"Good to know." His jovial mood faded when it occurred to him how he and his brothers upended Jen's day. He couldn't help feeling a tiny pang of guilt. (Maybe his conscious was getting some use after all.) "By the way, my bad for annoying you and stuff earlier. I know I pissed you off, so"—he braced himself for his next words—"I wanna give you half my profits from the party."

She gaped at him. "Really?"

"Yes, really. I guess it's the least I could do."

"Jonesy, you don't have to."

"Hey, I'd rather fork over my cash to you than my brothers. But, if you wanna turn it down, I'd be more than glad to—"

"I'll definitely take it," she said, cutting him off.

He chuckled. Maybe he and Jen were more alike than he perceived. "I thought so. I'll give it to you later after I count it."

"Deal." She gave him a warm smile and a brief hug. Despite his behavior, she remembered why he was still her friend. He could be an impulsive jackass, but his heart was in the right place. Out of all the Garcia boys, he was the best one (not that she'd confess that to him anytime soon). "Thanks, Jonesy."

"Anytime, sis."

* * *

Shortly before sunset, the party had ended and all the partygoers had left. The gang (minus Caitlin, who went home earlier to tend to her heartbreak) stuck around for a while. They continued to hang out with each other, just as they did earlier in the day (before Jonesy turned it into a day party).

Even though he chatted with the guys, Jonesy couldn't help glancing at Nikki as she laughed with Jen and Sydni.

He knew she avoided him on purpose. It dug under his skin.

He just wanted her to give him the time of day—or, rather, _night_ (seeing that the sun had set). It was agonizing to be iced out by her, especially when he yearned to talk to her about today's events. He wanted to chat about her fight with Tricia, how much money he made from the pool party, and how he and Jen reclaimed the backyard from his brothers. He wanted to chat with her about all of it, all while making her laugh and smile.

But he couldn't do that if she was still keeping him at arm's length.

"Well, I think I should go," Sydni said, pulling him out of his thoughts, "My skin is seriously pruning."

As she got out of the pool, Wyatt said, "Yeah, I think I should go home before it gets too late."

"Ditto," Jude said.

Jen agreed as well, more than ready to head to her room for the night.

Nikki cast one last glare upon Jonesy and said in a frigid tone, "Looks like I should go home, too."

"Wait up, Nik!" he said, calling after her.

While her other friends vacated the backyard, she stopped in her tracks.

"Please stay, babe."

Her eyes pierced his. "Why?" It was less of a question and more of a dry statement.

"Because I really wanna talk to you about earlier."

She sneered. "If you're wondering when we can engage in a threesome, the answer is _never_."

"It's not about that, Nikki—just freaking hear me out!" he snapped, letting his frustrations out. He then realized it wasn't effective to begin an apology by raising his voice at her. After calming down, he said, "Sorry… Listen, I just wanted to apologize for what I did. I'm sorry for not taking your sexuality seriously and asking you those questions about other girls. I know I made it seem like a big joke."

"That's not the issue, Jonesy," she said with a furrowed brow. "The issue is that you were putting me on the spot about being bi. You assumed I found every girl within a given vicinity hot. And just because _you_ do, that doesn't mean that _I_ do. I'm attracted to girls, yes, but it's not something to get off about. I thought you of all people would understand that."

"Oh," was the first word he could muster. "Well, don't _I_ feel like a jackass?" He chuckled, but it was devoid of heart, especially since she didn't smirk at his rhetorical question. "Listen, I'm sorry, babe. I just hope you can forgive me."

She looked away, pondering his apology.

It left him hanging in suspense.

So he waited.

And waited.

And _waited_.

Just when he couldn't withstand the agony anymore, her eyes met his. "I forgive you."

A wave of relief washed over him. He smiled.

"Just don't do that shit again. It really pissed me off."

"Won't happen again, baby."

"Good," she said, appearing satisfied.

"So… does this mean you're not leaving? 'Cause we didn't really get to hang out that much today."

She shrugged. "I'll stay. I don't have to be home 'til midnight anyways."

"Cool," he said, walking into waist-deep water and hoping she would join him.

She did, going until the water pooled beneath her bosoms.

They remained beside each other in comfortable silence. The gentle splashing of the water and distant chirping from crickets spoke for them.

Even after their quarrels, he was grateful they could return to a state of normalcy. They'd always gotten on each other nerves, but never to the extent where it was impossible for them to make up.

"That was nice—what you did for Jen earlier," Nikki admitted, breaking the silence.

"She told you?"

She shot him a knowing look. "You _do_ realize we share everything, right?"

"True," he said, wondering why he even questioned it. Nikki and Jen were practically sisters. "So, you think it was nice, huh?"

She nodded. "You might be a bigger pain in her ass than you are in mine, but you do know how to get your act right."

He chuckled. "Gee, thanks."

She smirked at him. "Anytime. You know, I'm really glad that you two are getting along better. God, I really thought you two were gonna have a falling out when your parents got married."

He quirked a brow. "For real?"

"Uh, _yeah_. You two kept going back and forth nonstop for weeks, remember? And it doesn't help that your endless amount of siblings got involved."

"Damn, do we really seem endless?"

"There's six of you in this house, not even including your parents."

"Technically, there's only five of us now that Courtney moved out. And Emma wasn't even born when our parents got married."

"Okay, but you get my point, right?"

"Yeah, yeah. There's a lot of us, and you're glad me and Jen haven't murdered each other."

"Wow, you really do listen."

"Um, I'm a _great_ listener. I could listen to you talk all day, babe, even if it's about paint drying. Also, for the record, I really do care about Jen and stuff." He scratched the back of his head. "She's my sis, y'know? I love her."

She grinned.

"What?"

"I've never heard you say you love Jen before."

He facepalmed himself. "Aw, man. It's like Panera's Box opened after I told you I love you."

"...It's _Pandora's_ box. And it's nice to hear that you love her. As much as I love 'funny Jonesy' and 'mischievous Jonesy'—"

"And _kissing_ Jonesy," he added while wagging his eyebrows.

She rolled her eyes. "I also love 'compassionate Jonesy.' You can be a total softie sometimes and—dare I boost your overinflated ego—it's attractive."

"Suddenly, I've got the urge to tell everyone I love them."

She deadpanned, "And, suddenly, I've got the urge to take off my clothes."

"Need any help?"

"No thanks."

"Alright. Just let me know, babe."

"Will do."

"Soooo," he said, wanting to shift the topic, "are we gonna talk about you kicking Tricia's ass today or nah?"

"I take it you heard about that?"

" _Heard_ about it? Babe, I saw that shit." His expression brightened. "You were amazing. You still know how to deck the hell outta somebody. I should know."

She chuckled. "I think you're the only one on the receiving end of my fists who's still in my good graces."

"You don't say. So, how'd it feel to hit her? I know it must've felt good."

"Oh, it felt _sublime_. Like, my hand was throbbing afterwards, but in the best way."

"Sadist."

"Guilty as charged." She snorted. "I may be into girls now, but certain ones still get on my nerves."

"Noted: likes women, but will also fight women."

"Yep, so jot that down."

"Got it," he said with a thumbs-up.

"So, Jen told me you had a problem with your little terrors—I mean _brothers_ —today."

"Yeah, I did. I offered them money to stay away from my damn party and they still crashed it." He rolled his eyes. "It's like bribes don't work like they used to."

She feigned upset. "So disappointing."

"I know, right? They're not as easy to sway as they used to be. Those little shits are getting advanced."

"Free will's a bitch, huh?"

"Totally."

* * *

After an hour of chatting it up and swimming around with her boyfriend, Nikki toweled herself dry, getting the excess chlorinated water off her skin. Jonesy did the same.

"That was fun, Garcia. I think we really needed that after the day _we've_ had."

He chuckled. "You don't say." He then noticed her pretty brown eyes flickering from his gaze to his damp chest as he ran his towel over it. Her eyes fixated on the way the water droplets made it glisten in the moonlight. (Unlike her piercing glare—which made him want to wither away and die—her gaze made him feel warm.) He peeped the way her lips upturned in delight. "Hey, are you checking me out?"

After drying herself off, she tossed her towel onto one of the chaises. "Of course. As much as you ogle my breasts, butt, and thighs, I can do the same thing to your features."

"By the way, all three of those things look amazing in that swimsuit. Actually, your whole body does." He set his towel aside and ran his hands along her lower back, rubbing on her behind. He couldn't help touching her, seeing that he hadn't done so all day. He felt deprived of it.

Luckily, she welcomed his touch on her physique.

She placed her palms against his chest, rubbing his pecs in slow circles. "And _you_ certainly know your way around a pair of swimming trunks."

The hypnotic way her fingers circled elicited a purr from him. "To be honest, babe, it doesn't matter what you wear; you're always gonna make me want you."

The pressure of his grip on her behind increased, making her sigh. "And, sexuality be damned, you're always gonna drive me wild."

He dove in for a kiss, capturing her lips with vigor and hunger.

She reciprocated with equal amounts of desire. Muffled moans resounded inside his mouth. Her tongue flickered against his lips and he parted to let her in without hesitation. A need to taste him overwhelmed her senses. The way she kissed him _screamed_ that she wanted more, and she could feel the same in the way he kissed her.

They parted for a split second and gazed at each other with longing eyes.

Moments later, she found herself lying with her back against the chaise and his body on top of hers. Her thighs ensnared his waist, clinging to him for dear life. Her hands ghosted up and down his bare back as they gave each other hungry kisses that sent her mind reeling with wild thoughts about him.

His hands gripped her thighs because, while she was desperate to taste him, he was desperate to fondle her. Her body caught his eye on the regular and, though he was able to touch her, he wanted to _feel_ her. Feel her hips against his own. Feel her wonderfully thick thighs. Feel her tongue wander around his mouth.

They'd never had an encounter of this magnitude. There had always been a fire between them—something apparent in the way they kissed, something apparent in the way they quarrelled—but they never poured gasoline over that open fire in such a manner before. Their makeout sessions, while not always tame, managed to be warm and playful and fun. Yet this one was the result of swelling sexual tension that demanded to be _felt_. Being scantily clad and full of raging hormones and looking at each other like _that_ set them ablaze.

He began to shift his hips against hers, coaxing hers into following his experimental movements. It took a moment for them to get in sync, but once their motions aligned, it felt like second nature to her. A sensation arose at the apex of her thighs; she felt a complementary reaction in his groin.

Feeling him press against her was not foreign to her. She'd spent plenty of makeout sessions on top of him, beneath him, and in his lap to know what it felt like. She would simply ignore it because it was _Jonesy_ and he loved to let her know she turned him on. But, now, she wanted to entertain it.

" _Mmm_ ," she whimpered in satisfaction against his lips.

Even her moans sounded different in this context. Before, they were noises emitted in appreciation and encouragement. She moaned to let him know he'd done something enjoyable. Now, she moaned to convey desire. She sighed to express content. She whimpered to want _more_.

He parted from her, leaving her mouth tingly and yearning. He placed his lips along her neck and gently sucked on her skin.

" _Jonesy_ ," she cooed.

The honeyed way she called his name floated through the air. He reveled in it. He lived for it.

He went from sucking on her neck to giving it languid licks, sending her head spinning around and around and _around_. His mouth moved to her jawline, pressing kisses along it as his hips slowed down. Her hips followed his lead.

" _Oh_ ," she moaned as the motion between them stilled.

He could feel her chest heaving against his. He lifted his head, gazing down at his girlfriend's flushed face. Her eyes were half-lidded and starry, her mouth was slightly agape, and her cheeks had a pink tint to them. As he sat upright and she did the same, he could see the outline of her nipples through her black swimsuit.

 _Yep, I've got a superboner_ , he concluded.

Now that the haze of hormones and lust faded away, they gaped at each other, realizing what just happened.

"So," he began, "should we talk about this?"

Though he wasn't complaining, he knew they'd pushed the physical boundaries of their relationship and, every time they went further than what they'd agreed upon, Nikki initiated conversation about it. She liked to come to an agreement on where they were headed.

For now, all she wanted to do was ignore the sensation between her legs. "Can we wait 'til tomorrow?"

"Yeah, that's cool with me."

"Cool." She got out the lounge chair, bending over to grab the cargo pants she arrived with.

His eyes glanced over her form as she put them back on and then put on her flip flops.

"So, um,"—she cleared her throat—"I'm gonna head home now."

"I'll walk you to your car." He jumped from his seat, suddenly feeling a heaviness in his lower body.

"I'll be fine." Her eyes glanced over his shorts before meeting his gawking face. She gave him a knowing smile. "You should probably go—y'know— _handle_ yourself."

He gave her a sheepish look, grateful for her giving him the go-ahead. "Good call, babe."

As she scrambled to her car and he hurried to his bedroom, they both couldn't refrain from thinking the same thing: _What a hell of a day_.

* * *

 _ **A/N**_ _: I'm so glad that I finished writing this one, and I'm pretty damn pleased at the outcome._

 _I posted up all the story titles for season one/installment one of_ 7teen _on my profile if anyone's interested in looking at them._

 _Also, not that anyone really cares, I put together mini-soundtracks for each story, so I'm gonna start posting them at the end of each story for anyone who's curious._

* * *

Music from "Heatwave":

"Scared Money" by NxWorries (from _Yes Lawd!_ ) [Explicit]  
"Pothole" by Tyler, The Creator and Jaden Smith (from _Flower Boy_ ) [Explicit]  
"I Get Around" by 2Pac (from _Strictly 4 My N-_ ) [Explicit]  
"Fromdatomb$" by Joey Bada$$ and Chuck Strangers (from _1999_ ) [Explicit]  
"No Easy Love" by Annie (from _Anniemal_ )  
"Florida Kilos" by Lana Del Rey (from _Ultraviolence_ )  
"Heatwave" by Charli XCX (from _Super Ultra_ )  
"Slow It Down" by Kim Petras


End file.
